This invention relates to a laminated web used for making signs having characters, symbols and the like, adhesively attached to a supporting surface, and deals more particularly with an improvement in such webs wherein characters and other shapes cut from one layer of a laminated web are readily transferred onto a support surface without need of a separate transfer tape to accomplish transfer and securement of the cut shapes to the substrate or support surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,525 issued to Logan et al. entitled AUTOMATED SIGN GENERATOR discloses an automated cutting machine in which a laminated web is fed lengthwise of itself across a cutting surface and a closed shape is cut into the web by a cutting tool carried on ways above it. The coordinated movement of the cutting tool taken in conjunction with the advancement of the web through the machine results in the cutting of a closed shape into the laminated web in accordance with encoded instructions issued by a computer that makes up part of the machine. The laminated web typically employs a carrier sheet or other like material which holds the sign material on it through the intermediary of an adhesive layer for advancement through the machine. In the advancement of the carrier material through the machine, it is advantageous to maintain the sign or "good" side of the material facing downwards and therefore protecting it against abrasion and scratches. This is especially important where vinyl is used and is easily scratched. As such, the upwardly facing side of the sign material sheet is required to carry the adhesive which will bond the cut shape to the underlying substrate surface if the cut shape is to be applied directly to the substrate surface from the carrier as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,584. By orienting the laminate in this manner to avoid using a transfer tape, a normally dry adhesive which is capable of being activated to a tacky condition is provided on the upwardly facing surface of the sign material sheet in accordance with the invention disclosed therein. However, it may at times in some applications of the web be desirable to use a permanently tacky adhesive rather than one which is one-time activated between a dry and a tacky condition as the means for attaching the cut shapes to the substrate surface. Nevertheless, cutting through an exposed tacky surface is not desirable because, among other things, during the resulting weeding operation, manipulating the web with the tacky surface exposed may inadvertently result in foreign material adhering to the cut shapes or result in portions of the web itself becoming bonded with one another. Also, since the web is often fed through the sign making machine from a feed roll, an exposed tacky surface would inhibit unwinding of the web, if not totally make it impossible.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a laminated web wherein cut shapes are readily applied to a substrate surface through the intermediary of a permanently tacky adhesive having an outwardly disposed tacky surface which is initially deadened by the application of a dissolvable film or coating to it to condition the web for use in a cutting operation and which tack deadening substance is subsequently dissolved prior to applying the cut shape to a substrate surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a low cost and reliable laminated web of sign material utilizing a permanently tacky adhesive to attach cut shapes to a substrate wherein the attaching adhesive is preconditioned so as to allow the web to be wound on itself in roll form.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure and the appended claims.